The Interactive Heritage Map of Syria Project seeks to document intangible aspects of heritage by shedding light on the people who create their heritage. It aims to present cultural expressions, orally-transmitted traditional knowledge and personal memories from Syria with a holistic approach that links material and immaterial heritage perspectives.
The project is responsible for developing this interactive platform that presents the work of the Syrian Heritage Initiatives at the museum and invites participants to take part in the collection and preservation work of Syrian heritage through different outreach activities. The platform allows visitors to learn more about Syrian heritage, share their own opinion, in addition to accessing an extract of the extensive database of the Syrian Heritage Archive in the gallery and geographical data on the interactive map page.
Currently, the team of the Interactive Heritage Map of Syria project is focusing on handcrafts such as the craft of ‘Ajami (painted polychrome wooden panels), traditional Syrian textiles and Syrian music by using participatory methods. In parallel, the project is working with community archivists on several oral history projects presenting diverse narratives of cultural expressions and traditions of its people.
In order to create a meaningful discussion on cultural heritage, the Interactive Heritage Map of Syria uses different outreach methods, including thematic workshops concerning cultural memory and creative expression, and through a powerful presence in the virtual space with online campaigns and activities on Facebook.
With the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation it thus becomes possible to translate the results of archival work into a participatory map. People from Syria can embed their knowledge and their experiential repertoires in the cultural heritage map. Visit our map.
In this page:
CONTACT US
Interactive Heritage Map of Syria
Museum für Islamische Kunst
Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 6
10117 Berlin
Phone: +49 30 266 422294
Mail: map(at)syrian-heritage.org
Follow us: Facebook
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Our Methodology
Our project´s work is based on three cornerstones:
Telling Stories:
We are collecting personal narratives on the material of the Syrian Heritage Archive and material chosen from our digital community.
The focus here is on people.
Generating knowledge:
We are mobilizing a network of specialists and practitioners to document and present knowledge about intangible heritage. Our content varies and includes interviews, scientific research and personal stories that together create a mosaic of narratives each contributing an important puzzle piece.
Digital Participation and Presentation:
Our work is underpinned by participatory approaches in oder to allow everyone to share their knowledge and perspective. Participation is enabled throught digital ways of contributing as well as actual participation in one of our workshops.
To ensure an attractive presentation of heritage on our website, our project works on developing digital tools to improve the different section on this website. We thoroughly think about the way we are creating content and what voices we present on our website. Our work is based on 6 conceptual questions we have developed as a critical guide throughout our work:
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WORKSHOPS
We want to meet you!
The Interactive Heritage Map of Syria project is keen to create spaces for Syrians and Non-Syrians in Berlin to exchange and discuss narratives on Syrian heritage. Over the last two years, we have conducted several workshops to meet and bring together people interested in the unique culture of Syria:
Storytelling Workshop – Tell a Story Syria
Together with storytelling expert and Artistic Director Rachel Clarke (Storytelling Arena), participants of this workshop practiced the skills of storytelling and dramaturgy and developed their own storyline. They shared stories about what intangible Syrian heritage means to them.
Dates: 15, 16,17 March 2019
Location: Berlin
Partners: Storytelling Arena, Rachel Clarke
Creative Writing Workshop for Women
This workshop took place in Leipzig in cooperation with the project „Mut-Macherinnen“ by DaMigra e.V., an organisation advocating for female migrants in Germany. The workshop targeted woman and included an introduction into the art and principles of writing.
Dates: 12,13 &19 October 2019
Location: Leipzig
Partners: Damigra, Kifah Ali Deeb
Stories of Home – Stories of place Workshop
In this workshop we asked participants to go back in memory to the places they lived in, and talk about the habits and traditions that existed where they lived in Syria. We focused on stories of our neighborhoods, streets and cities, and how individual memories create a collective narratives of place and thus become an integral part of local culture.
Dates: 28 Feb., 06, 13 March 2020
Location: Berlin
Partners: Hiwarat e.V., Amer Katbeh, Natalia Ali
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Contribute
We invite everyone to participate in our project! If you think you have a good story to tell about life and culture in Syria, you are welcome to share it. Of course, all Syrians around the world are invited to join. However, if you have lived or visited Syria, you might have insightful stories to tell about the rich culture and traditions of Syria, and we would also love to hear what you have to say.
What will happen to my contribution?
The information you contribute to us will be checked by our editors before publishing. If your contribution is part of a current theme, it will be published with other contributions of this theme. A selection of the media contributions will be part of our interactive heritage map. Stories are also shared regularly on Facebook. Follow our Facebook page to read all entries, be updated about the projects of the Syrian Heritage Initiative and receive regular insights from the Syrian Heritage Archive.
How to participate?
We invite you to share your photographs, personal memories, family histories, and your community’s folklore to help us document people’s heritage of Syria using this form (see below: Contribute). The material you share must be your own material and it should always show respect to fellow users, avoid inflammatory offensive language and any form of discrimination.
Click here to send your contribution (page opens in new tab)
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